I knitted like a maniac this week and finished ANOTHER flower basket shawl. This yarn has seen better days. It started off as a ribbed bolero and three-quarters of the way through, I realised there was not enough yarn. However there was pleanty enough to salvage a shawl out of, just in time for christmas. Did I mention this is one of my treasured Brooks Farm skeins? This is the duet- a silk/mohair blend (50/50). It is so SOFT! The only dissapointment is that I couldn't get the pointy edging with this yarn. The instructions say to cast off very very loosely, which I made sure to, but this wool just didn't have the give that laceweight does. However, the shape is shawl-like, so I'm ok with it. 
Note: This shawl is extra big because I had enough to do ten repeats of the pattern instead of seven. Thank you lord for extra long needles.
In other news, today I made "West Side Monopoly" with my 5 kiddies. We're having a christmas party on Tuesday and this is going to be a group gift for everyone. The parents don't know what we were doing, I just took the kids for a morning. They were happy to not ask questions and get some free time! I imagine it will pass between their three houses, and I know it will get a lot of use. We are regular monopoly players. We took a regular monopoly board and painted over it. We put a piece of cardboard in the middle and drew on that too. Then we put all of the schoool's, subway stops, family restaurants, grocery store, favorite parks and playgrounds.....and we made our own chance/community chest cards!
If you're wondering, yes, they call me "Ginny". So does my Mom.
My favorite part of it was that instead of Go to Jail" we put "Go to the Chair!" It was totally their idea. I added to the corner of that square. 
That's a child in the chair crying, if you can't tell from the glare.
Well these past few days have been hectic but quite satisfying. Christmas projects are finishing up, now it's just down to wrapping and drinking eggnog! I'm off to a christmas party....
That monopoly board is so funny! I'm sure the kids will love it. I am also completely enamored with the Brooks Farm yarn - I have 2 skeins of Harmony I got at Rheinbeck - one is going to my mom, and the other is still unallotted...i do love that shawl, so maybe I'll give it a try (AFTER the holidays!). Looking forward to meeting you and the other spiders SOON!
-Julsey
Posted by: Julsey | December 18, 2005 at 10:25 AM
That Monopoly board is such a creative idea! Look slike you guys had a lot of fun.
Posted by: Veronique | December 18, 2005 at 01:42 PM
Damn girl... you are on fire!!! Great looking shawls and I love the monopoly board!
Posted by: amanda | December 19, 2005 at 11:22 AM
Holy smoke, you're fast! You just started that thing, girl! Ginny's a darling nickname, by the way - very HP. :)
Posted by: Sarah | December 20, 2005 at 06:05 PM
Hi Ginny - our mutual friend Claire sent me here ---- love your flower basket shawl. I bought some of that Duet at Rhinebeck this year (still not sure what I'll make with it). Have you tried blocking the pointy edges into your shawl?
Posted by: ann | December 21, 2005 at 06:50 PM
Hi Ginny! Ann and I are on your site-love the psychedelic afghan-might make it for my daughter...Ann, who is a narcissist, is wondering if she's in the background of any of your Rhinebeck photos...
Posted by: claire | December 21, 2005 at 06:51 PM
the shawl looks great! that is a lovely yarn.
and the monopoly board is a total hoot. so creative!
Posted by: carrie m | December 22, 2005 at 10:04 PM